The Mystery Patient
by thehelsalife
Summary: When the gang went to visit Abigail Callaghan in the hospital, they never could have expected the complications that would come with the waking of an unidentified patient down the hall.
1. Chapter 1

**_Author's Note: Hey, it's my first Big Hero 6 fanfic! This first chapter is admittedly not my best work, but it's really more for setting things up than anything. I know I haven't really been consistent when it comes to updates, but I really like this idea, so I'll probably be better. Alive!Tadashi, because I'm in denial (much like the rest of the fandom.) Enjoy!_**

Normally, the members of the recently named Big Hero 6 wouldn't need to venture into a hospital. After all, with their own personal healthcare companion, who needed doctors? Baymax could handle any injuries they acquired for no charge whatsoever. But, today was different. They weren't going for themselves, but for Abigail Callaghan. She had requested that they come to visit and explain everything that her father had done. After all, they were the ones who had experienced it first-hand.

Hiro looked around with a sigh as they walked in the door. He'd never been very fond of hospitals, with the strong smells and the possibility that someone in the building just died. But with his new friends at his side, he could handle it. Hopefully.

"Excuse us, what room is Abigail Callaghan staying in?" Honey Lemon asked the exhausted looking woman sitting behind the front desk.

"Room 510." She replied, not even looking up from her crossword puzzle.

"Thanks." GoGo smiled, blowing a bubble with her gum and popping it. They started up the stairs quickly, since they wouldn't all fit in the elevator. Hiro lagged behind a little, looking down at the ground. In the past, when he'd gone to visit someone in the hospital, he'd held Tadashi's hand. Just the knowledge that his brother was there by his side was always comforting. But now, he couldn't have that comfort ever again. Without even thinking about it, he instinctively reached out his hand, and to his surprise, felt someone take it. He glanced up to see Baymax looking down at him. He smiled softly, and was sure that if the robot had a mouth, he'd be smiling back.

They reached room 510 fairly quickly, and Abigail waved at the team.

"Hey, guys. Thanks for coming."

"No problemo." Fred replied, leaning against the door frame in a way that he thought looked cool, but was more ridiculous than anything. GoGo rolled her eyes, popping her gum again.

"Anyway, shall we get to it?" Wasabi asked.

"The sooner the better, I guess." The young woman sighed. She wasn't exactly looking forward to hearing what horrible things her own father had done, but she figured it was best to just get it over with. Like ripping off a band-aid. Suddenly, they heard a commotion in the hall.

"The patient's waking up!" An excited nurse called out. Two more nurses and a doctor ran past the door.

"What are they so psyched about?" Fred asked, looking down the hallway.

"There's an unidentified patient down the hall. He's been in a coma, but by the sound of it, he won't be for much longer." Abigail replied.

"How long has he been in here?" Hiro asked.

"A few weeks, I think. He's in pretty bad shape."

"Do you think Baymax should check him out to see if he's alright? He can work faster than the doctors."

"That might be a good idea." She nodded.

"I'll take him." GoGo offered. Hiro opened his mouth to object, but she quickly added: "You were the one who found Callaghan in that warehouse, so you need to stay and help explain." Hiro let out a sigh, not thrilled about the thought of being separated from his best friend, especially in this place.

"I guess you're right..."

"We'll be right back." She gave a soft, comforting smile. Tadashi had told her about Hiro's fear of hospitals a few months back, and she could tell how uncomfortable he was. Normally, she'd just roll her eyes and tell him to woman up, but he was a kid. Besides, she'd grown a bit of a soft spot for him.

"Alright..." He said quietly. With that, GoGo turned on her heel and led Baymax out of the room.

"Anyway, back to the matter at hand." Wasabi said. "Hiro, do you want to talk first?"

"Okay, I guess. Where should I start?"

"It's up to you." Honey smiled.

"Well, it all kinda started at the showcase, where I showed everyone my microbots. I guess your father saw the potential in them, so he took them and...and started the fire..." His voice got quiet, and the others immediately regretted asking him to explain first. He tried not to think about his brother, and instead kept his mind on the rest of the story. "Anyway, I still had one of the microbots, and it kept trying to go towards the warehouse where he was building more of them. At first, I thought it was just broken, but Baymax followed it and I chased after him, and we found your father in there. Once he realized we had seen what he was doing, he attacked us with the microbots, but we were able to get away. And then the next time we saw him-" His story was interrupted by the door flying open. Everyone turned their heads to see GoGo standing in the doorway; her eyes wide in shock, confusion, and a little relief.

"You guys aren't going to believe this." She said quickly. "I can barely believe it myself, and I was there! I saw him. He was there, and it was **him**, but I don't know how, or why, or-"

"GoGo!" Wasabi interrupted her. He'd never seen her flustered like this before. None of them had. "Slow down. What happened? Who are you talking about?"

"The 'mystery patient.' I saw him. Baymax saw him, too. He was in really bad shape, but I'd still know his face anywhere." She rambled; her eyes glued to the floor.

"Well, who was it?" Fred asked. GoGo looked up at the group, still in shock, and after a short pause, she answered:

"It was Tadashi."


	2. Chapter 2

**_Author's Note: Here's chapter two! This one's a little short, but I promise the next one will be longer. Also,I just want to thank all of you for the positive reviews. They're so nice to read, and I really appreciate every one of them. Now, without further ado, here it is._**

Tadashi looked around the hospital room with half-lidded eyes, trying to piece together what had happened. It was all a big blur in his memory. He knew there was a fire, though that was more based on logic than memory. After all, there wasn't exactly another way to end up covered in burns. He was relieved that the doctors had clearly put him on painkillers, because it would be agonizing otherwise. Even with medication, the worst areas were still pretty tender. The doctors and nurses were fussing over him, though he didn't focus on them. He took in his surroundings, thinking. Wondering. Wondering if he would get visitors. Wondering how he ended up this badly burnt, and if anyone else had gotten hurt, as well. Wondering how long he'd been out, and whether it had had an effect on his friends and family. His thought were interrupted by a doctor looking him straight in the eye.

"What's your name, son?"

"What?" He asked, confused. _Shouldn't they already know my name? _

"You've been in a coma, and nobody has identified you. So, what's your name?"

"Well, it's-" He stopped mid-sentence. _What __**is **__my name? _It was such a little thing; something that he should have known instantly, but he drew a blank. He wracked his brain, trying to figure it out. Nothing. "I don't remember…"

* * *

><p>Hiro sprinted down the hallway as fast as he could to Tadashi's room. He could barely believe it. After all this time, was it possible that his beloved big brother could still be alive? It seemed too good to be true. Question after question went through his mind. <em>How did he survive? Why wasn't he identified? Did Callaghan know? Is this just a dream? Will I wake up in my room and see Tadashi's empty bed? If this is all real, then <em>_**how is it possible? **_He couldn't make any sense of it, but right now, all he wanted was to see his brother again, and he didn't care what state he would be in. Earlier that day, just seeing Tadashi's face again was more than he believed he could have asked for. He skidded to a halt in front of the door. Baymax stood right outside, blocking the way.

"Could you move over, buddy?" Hiro asked, giving him a little nudge. "I can't get to the doorknob."

"I feel that you need preparation before going to visit Tadashi." The robot replied. Hiro rolled his eyes. _Preparation? How much preparation does it take to go see my own brother? _But, he knew that Baymax was only doing what he was programmed to do. He just wished that Tadashi hadn't made him such a worrywart.

"I think I'm good. Now, can you move?" He gave him another light nudge.

"Tadashi is in very poor condition, and seeing him could cause you emotional distress without proper warning."

"Well, what's wrong with him, then?"

"He is suffering from: 2nd and 3rd degree burns, several abrasions, head trauma, respiratory complications due to smoke inhalation, and lastly-"

"I think I'm prepared enough." He interrupted. "Can I please see him now?"

"Alright." He stepped aside excruciatingly slowly, and Hiro threw the door open. The others, who had appeared behind him, followed the fourteen-year-old into the room. His grin faded slightly when he looked at the patient in the bed in front of him. It was definitely Tadashi. Hiro would pretty much know him anywhere. But, he was thankful for GoGo telling him who it was. If he had just walked past the room and glanced at him, he never would have recognized him. The left side of his face was discolored and distorted by harsh burns and his scorched arms were wrapped in bandages. There was a stitched up gash that went from below his right eyebrow, down his cheek, to his chin. He had countless tubes in his bandaged arm, and an oxygen mask covered his mouth and nose to help him breathe. Hiro stood in shocked silence for a few moments, unsure of exactly how to feel. All of this was so sudden; so unexpected. But, he quickly shook it off. His brother was alive, and that was all that mattered.

"Tadashi…" He said in almost a whisper. His brother looked down at him with half-open eyes; his expression unnervingly blank. Hiro walked over to his right side and squeezed his unburned hand gently. It took everything in his power to not climb up on the bed, wrap his arms around him, and sob into his shoulder. "I can't believe it… It's really you…" The others watched; a mix of excitement, confusion, and concern in their eyes. The excitement vanished almost immediately when their friend spoke; his voice quiet and raspy.

"I'm sorry… Do I know you?"


	3. Chapter 3

Hiro's eyes filled with tears, and he let go of Tadashi's hand. Of all the things he could have possibly said, that was undoubtedly the worst. It was like he'd finally gotten his sibling back, and then ripped away from him again.

"Tadashi, it's me, Hiro. Your brother." He said quietly. "Don't you remember me?"

_Hiro. _The name rang a bell, but it wasn't enough. He shook his head somberly.

"I'm sorry. I don't…" He rasped, looking down. He couldn't bear to see the poor kid in tears, whether he knew who he was or not. Even with amnesia, his personality had remained intact for the most part, and seeing anyone suffering hurt him nearly as much as it hurt them.

"Do you remember anything?" GoGo asked; her voice uncharacteristically quiet, almost timid.

"Not really. There are a few little bits and pieces, but…it's not much…" He looked up at the five strangers; a shameful expression on his face. He hated how upset they all were. "Do you think you could explain a little?"

"Of course." Wasabi nodded. "Your name is Tadashi Hamada. You're our best friend," He motioned to himself and the rest of the group, "and Hiro's older brother. About a month ago, there was a fire at a big showcase for our school, the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology. We were all safe outside, but you ran in to save your favorite teacher, Professor Callaghan. There was an explosion shortly after you went in, and both you and Callaghan were presumed dead."

"What happened to Callaghan?"

"We can explain that later. It's a very long story."

"Okay… And, who are you guys?" He asked. Fred stepped forwards.

"The name's Fred. Here, we've got Wasabi, GoGo, Honey Lemon, and you've already met Hiro." He pointed to each of them as he said their names. If anything, Tadashi looked more confused.

"Wait…Honey Lemon? GoGo? Wasabi?" _What kind of names are those?_

"I came up with all the nicknames."

"I spilled wasabi on my shirt **one time.**" Wasabi said quickly. Tadashi let out a chuckle. He could see why he liked these people so much.

"Freddy? I think you're forgetting someone." Honey said, glancing towards the door. Fred raised an eyebrow, clearly not getting it.

"Who?" Tadashi asked.

"Another very good friend of ours." GoGo said knowingly. "Baymax! Get in here!" They all looked over to the door, which opened gradually, revealing the robot, who walked into the room; his movements as slow as ever. Now, it was Tadashi who raised an eyebrow.

"This is Baymax." Hiro said, gesturing towards him. "You built him."

"I…I did?"

"Yep. Your best invention, by far." He smiled. "He's programmed with over 10,000 medical procedures, and a few little extra things I added in." His tone was less pained now, though his expression still showed a hint of sadness. "You made him to help a lot of people, and that's exactly what he's done." He looked from his brother to Baymax. "Say hi, buddy."

"Hello, Tadashi." He waved.

"Hey…Baymax…" Tadashi replied, waving back with a sheepish smile. He looked the robot up and down. _He looks like a giant marshmallow. I guess that was probably the point, though. Non-threatening and huggable._

"Hiro, you did not let me finish earlier. Tadashi's final symptom is: memory loss."

"I kinda figured that out, buddy." Hiro said quietly, looking back up at his brother with a frown. Tadashi let out a sigh.

"Hiro…" He said quietly. "I really am sorry…"

"It's fine. Really. I thought you were dead. Just the fact that you're breathing is more than I could ask for." Hiro mumbled, trying to convince himself as much as his brother.

"Besides, you'll probably get your memory back eventually." GoGo added, walking up and putting a comforting hand on Hiro's shoulder, not breaking eye contact with Tadashi. "Amnesia doesn't usually last forever."

"That's a relief." Tadashi sighed.

"For all of us." Wasabi added. "But for now, it's good to have you back, whether you remember us or not."

"Yeah." Honey grinned. "We all missed you."

"I just wish we had a few more answers about how you survived." Hiro said. "It doesn't make any sense."

"Well, we don't know much more than you do." One of the doctors said, reminding the group that they weren't alone.

"How come you couldn't figure out who he was?" Fred asked. "I mean, there were only two people in the fire, and even when he's all burned up, he obviously isn't Callaghan."

"Well, that's the thing. He wasn't found in the remains of the building."

"Wait, what?" GoGo asked in confusion.

"He was found in the bushes near the side of the road, nearly five miles away from the site of the fire. By the time he was taken here, he and Callaghan had already been declared dead, so we assumed that it couldn't be him."

"I guess that makes sense." Wasabi shrugged.

"But who would take him and ditch him in the bushes?" Fred asked.

"Callaghan. Duh." GoGo scoffed. "If Tadashi saw him steal Hiro's microbots, he could have told somebody. So, he got him out of the way, and left him for dead."

"Classic villain move." He nodded. "Who found him?"

"We're not sure. There was an anonymous call from a payphone, and when the ambulance arrived, whoever contacted us had left."

"That's weird…" Tadashi said quietly. None of this made any sense. The amnesia didn't help, but judging by the looks on the others' faces, he wasn't the only one who was confused.

"I'm sure we can get to the bottom of it." Honey's voice was enthusiastic, but her expression was unsure.

"But for right now, let's focus on getting Tadashi feeling better." Wasabi said. "There'll be plenty of time for mystery solving after he's on his feet again."

"Good idea." GoGo smiled. "And I know just how to start. Baymax, go get Abigail. We've got a story to tell."


	4. Chapter 4

**_Author's note: Hey there my beautiful readers. I'm amazed by all the reviews/follows/favorites this story has gotten! I really just wrote it self-indulgently to try to ease my own pain about Tadashi, but I guess I'm not the only one who wants him alive. This chapter is a little fluff, a little angst, and hopefully will lead to the story moving along more. It seems a little slow, but it'll be worth it. I promise. Love you guys! Enjoy!_**

Later that day, they heard footsteps running down the hallway. The door flew open, and Hiro smiled at the sight of the person who ran in.

"Aunt Cass!" He grinned.

"Wasabi called me. I came as soon as I could." She said breathlessly; looking up at the brothers. Her hand drifted up to her mouth in shock, and her eyes widened. She had tried to prepare herself, but seeing her nephew in this state was enough to bring tears to her eyes. Sure, it was better than death, but those burns just looked so...painful. "Tadashi..." Her voice caught in her throat for a moment, and she took a step closer. "How are you feeling, sweetie?"

"Okay, I guess..." He mumbled. "They have me on a lot of painkillers, so it's not too bad. The memory thing is really the worst part."

"The memory thing?"

"That's the one detail I didn't mention in the phone call." Wasabi spoke up. "I figured it was the sort of thing you should tell someone in person."

"What is it?"

"Tadashi has a little bit of...amnesia..." Honey replied.

"Or, you know, a lot..." Fred added. Cass let out a sad, quiet sigh, and took her nephew's right hand.

"Oh, sweetie. I'm so sorry."

"For what? You didn't do anything wrong. It was all my fault."

"Don't say that. You were only trying to-"

"Help?" He interrupted. "Yeah, I know."

"Turned out Callaghan wasn't exactly worth it." GoGo scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Everyone is worth it." Tadashi said firmly. "It doesn't matter who he is, or what he did. I don't regret running into that building. Not for a second."

"Why not?" Hiro asked. "You almost died!"

"But I didn't. Besides, if you think about it, my apparent death was what gave you the motivation to go after Callaghan. I mean, if I'm getting the right idea from your story, he would have stolen the microbots and tried to get his revenge, no matter what. If I hadn't run into the fire in the first place, there would have been nobody to stop him, Krei would have died, and Abigail never would have gotten out of the portal." He explained. "Besides, whether I remember who I was before or not, I doubt I would have ever been able to forgive myself if I had left Callaghan to burn."

"I guess you're right." GoGo sighed. "But it doesn't make things any better for you."

"As long as I know I've helped people, I don't really care about a few scars." He shrugged. Hiro smiled, relieved that Tadashi's core personality had remained the same. It took away a lot of the pain. "I'm hoping I can go home soon, though. This isn't exactly the nicest place to be in…"

"I know, right?" Hiro exclaimed. "Hospitals give me the creeps." His eyes lit up when an idea hit him. "But hey, since we have Baymax, maybe you can come home early!"

"I'm not sure it works like that, Hiro." Honey said. "Baymax is great for more simple things, but he's never handled injuries like these before."

"Only because he hasn't had the chance to try. He can take care of him, no problem!"

"How can you be so sure?" His brother asked.

"Because **you** programmed him. You know robotics, Tadashi. Maybe even a little better than I do, since you've had to work harder at it. You did so many tests on him, and made so many modifications. The tech that went into him is crazy impressive, and he can still learn new things if he has to!" He looked around the room, hoping that he was convincing the others. "Let's at least ask the doctors." His voice suddenly got quiet, and he looked up at his bother again. "I want you to come home…" Tadashi gave a comforting smile, and with a lot of effort, pulled his brother into the closest thing to a hug that he could muster.

"Hey, if I can't, you can always stay here overnight." He said softly. "Even then, I bet I'll be out in no time."

"I just can't spend another night in an empty bedroom." Hiro whimpered, burying his face in his shoulder. The contact hurt a lot more than Tadashi let on, but he wasn't going to push him away. "I don't want to risk waking up alone and this all being a dream."

"Well, I can promise you that it's real." He closed his eyes. "I'm here."

"Promise you won't leave again." The fourteen-year-old normally would have put on a brave face and hidden his feelings away until he was alone with Baymax. But, he didn't care right now. He had been hit with a tidal wave of emotions, and he had to let them out.

"I promise."

"I missed you so much…"

"We all did." GoGo added quietly. Everyone else nodded, hardly even fazed by the usually tough-as-nails girl's uncharacteristically soft demeanor. Of all the members of the group other than Hiro, she was arguably the one who was always closest with Tadashi. Even though she had refused to admit it, his apparent death had hit her hard. That was as clear as ever now.

"Well, you don't have to miss me anymore." He smiled, hugging Hiro tighter and smiling up at GoGo.

"I'm holding you to that." Cass replied.

"Luckily, I don't think you'll have to."


	5. Chapter 5

**_Author's Note: Oh, look. I finally updated. I'm really sorry this chapter took so long. Between schoolwork, and starting to write a book, I haven't had much time for this story, but hopefully, I can be a lot more frequent with future updates. I just watched Big Hero 6 again, so now I have a lot more inspiration, which will help. This chapter shakes things up a little bit. Hope you enjoy!_**

Much to Hiro's chagrin, the doctors said that Tadashi needed to stay in the hospital for one more night in case there were any complications that they were unaware of. He knew arguing was pointless, but that didn't stop him from trying.

"Baymax can keep a close eye on him! He'll be able to tell if anything's wrong."

"Young man, I'm sorry, but while your robotic friend here is a very advanced piece of tech, he still can't do as much for your brother as we can. If you want him to be as healthy as possible, you won't mind us keeping an eye on him, at least for tonight."

"But…" His voice quivered.

"You can stay here…" Tadashi offered quietly. "I know you're not crazy about this place, but at least you wouldn't have to be alone."

"Okay…" Hiro let out a sigh, walking over to his brother's bedside. "You don't mind if I keep close, do you?"

"Not at all." He gave a warm smile, moving over and patting the newly opened space beside him on the bed. "Whatever makes you comfortable." His brother climbed up and sat next to him slowly, careful not to hurt him.

"I guess I shouldn't complain. I'm lucky you're even alive."

"Sort of…"

"What do you mean?"

"My memory's a complete blank, no matter how badly I want to remember. Physically, I'm alive, but I just wish…" He let out a sigh. "I wish I could truly be myself, you know?"

"You will someday. You have to."

"I hope you're right, buddy." Hiro slumped against Tadashi's side, letting out a little sigh. The subtle differences were the most painful for him, because they made it all too obvious that he still didn't quite have his brother back yet. Normally, he would never call him "buddy." He called Baymax "buddy" on a few occasions, sure, but never Hiro. Usually, it was more along the lines of "bonehead" or "knucklehead" or some other nickname that he would take as an insult if anyone other than Tadashi used it. Now, it really started to hit home that things would be very different, at least for a while. Tadashi looked down at him concernedly. "You okay, Hiro?"

"I'm fine." He lied. "Just a little tired…that's all."

"You can take a nap, if you want. I'm pretty beat, myself."

"Alright…" His voice was quiet. Figuring that a little rest couldn't hurt, he curled up to his brother and closed his eyes. Tadashi smiled down at him and let himself be overcome by his drowsiness. Soon, both of them were sound asleep.

Later in the night, Hiro got up to go to the bathroom. Not wanting to wake Tadashi, he climbed out of bed quietly and made his way out the door. Taking a deep breath, he walked down the hallway. This place was even creepier at night. What he didn't realize was that something far more sinister was going on back in the room.

The door creaked open, and a figure dressed in black snuck in and walked to Tadashi's bedside. He pulled his hood down, and gently shook him awake.

"Is it morning already?" The amnesiac asked tiredly.

"Not yet. I just wanted to come say hello." The man replied. Tadashi glanced up at him. He certainly didn't remember anyone like this, though the amount of people he would recognize was limited to the ones who had visited him earlier. This man was fairly young looking with blue eyes, neatly combed blonde hair, and freckles dotting his face.

"I'm sorry… Do I know you?"

"Not technically. But I know you." He held out his hand, and Tadashi shook it hesitantly.

"**How** do you know me?"

"My name's Johnathan Cooper. I'm the one who saved your life."

"You…you are?"

"Well, I had a little help."

"From who?"

"Robert Callaghan." He replied. Tadashi's eyes widened.

"Wait, what? But…Hiro told me-"

"Hiro lied." Johnathan said firmly.

"No… He wouldn't do that."

"How can you be so sure? You don't remember him."

"He's my **brother**."

"And yet, he didn't even notice that you were alive."

"I was unidentified. There was no way he could've-"

"He could have at least checked. With all the people taken to the hospital from that fire, it was entirely possible that you could have been one of them."

"That doesn't matter. And anyway, Callaghan started the fire. You can't use it to defend him."

"That fire was an accident." The man lied.

"I refuse to believe that. He stole the microbots and started the fire as a distraction."

"Yes, he took the microbots, but he had a good reason. And the fire only started because one of the inventions started sparking."

"That is the most far-fetched thing I've ever heard."

"And yet, you'll believe that your brother became a **superhero**?"

"Well, yeah… But there's proof for that. Callaghan is a crook, and you'll never convince me otherwise."

"Please, just come with me, and I can prove-"

"**No.**"

"I was afraid you'd say that." The man shook his head, and before Tadashi could do anything, he pulled a metal bar from his coat and hit him over the head.

By the time Hiro returned, the room was empty, and the window was wide open.

**_Author's Note Part 2: Dun dun dunnn. So many questions. Who's this Johnathan Cooper guy? Why did he kidnap Tadashi? Was he really the one who saved him? How will Hiro and the gang save him?_**


	6. Chapter 6

Tadashi's eyes blinked open, and he looked around at an unfamiliar room. He was lying on a cold, concrete floor, and the sight of bars completely lining one wall around him made it clear that he was in a cell of some sort. His first instinct was to find a way out, but his head throbbed with pain, and he decided it was best to not attempt to sit up just yet.

"Would you look who's **finally** awake?" A familiar voice scoffed. Tadashi could practically hear the smirk on Johnathan's face.

"Now, now. No need to be so condescending to our dear patient." Another voice said in a kinder, yet still somehow frightening tone. "You did enough damage giving him a concussion. Against my orders, I might add."

"You said to bring him here, and I did. What more do you want, Callaghan?" Tadashi's eyes widened, and he forced himself to turn his head and look at his captors. He recognized Johnathan instantly. Beside him stood an unfamiliar man, who certainly matched the description that Hiro had given him. But, it made no sense. Callaghan was in jail. He couldn't have been behind this. Besides, he didn't have any clear motivation this time. Abigail was safe and sound.

"If we want him to be loyal to us, we need his trust, and hitting him over the head with a metal bar is not the way to earn that!"

"Either way, we've got him." The two glanced down at him and he gulped.

"What are you going to do to me?" He asked timidly.

"We're going to get you feeling better, and then we need your help." Callaghan replied.

"With what?"

"Oh, that's not important."

"I think it happens to be very important."

"We'll tell you when you're ready."

"And why do you think I'll ever want to help **you**?"

"Because we're the heroes here, Tadashi. You just can't see that yet."

"You're delusional."

"If anyone's delusional here, it's you." Johnathan scowled.

"After all, you have no memories. You don't know who you are, or who you can trust, and yet you blindly accept what some boy claiming to be your brother says as fact? Not a smart move."

"And yet, trusting you is safe? You're talking yourself into a corner, Callaghan. If that's even your real name."

"It is, Tadashi. But please, call me Robert."

"How come **I **can't call you Robert?" Johnathan asked, somewhat offended.

"Because you hit him over the head with a metal bar." Callaghan snapped at him, then turned back to face Tadashi, kneeling down to be closer to eye level with him. "I can give you a full explanation, if you want. What really happened, why we brought you here-"

"Let's start with why you're not in prison."

"I bailed him out." Johnathan replied.

"And why am **I **behind bars?"

"Because we weren't sure how you would react when you woke up. You can never be too careful."

"Well, at the moment, I can't even stand, so could I maybe be taken somewhere a little more comfortable?"

"Of course. Johnathan, the gurney."

"Johnathan, do this. Johnathan, do that." He snarled, turning and walking out. "And do I ever get a thank you? No!"

"I'd like to apologize for my assistant. He tends to be rather moody."

"I've heard you're the same way, **Robert**."

"Look, whatever Hiro has told you about me is nothing but hogwash."

"The entire team told me the story. They wouldn't all lie."

"Oh, wouldn't they?" He chuckled quietly. "Did they tell you about the part where Hiro took Baymax, your prized invention that was supposed to help people, and reprogrammed him to cause harm instead? Did they mention that he completely removed his original programming and sent him to kill me? Or did they leave out those little details?"

"Well, I knew he gave Baymax some combat skills, but they never said…" He trailed off and looked away. It couldn't be true. Hiro would never try to murder someone. He couldn't.

"I'm not surprised. If they couldn't tell the whole story, then how do you know that **any** of what they said was true?"

"I don't believe you!" He cried out.

"Then, let me prove it to you."

"How?"

"I have my ways."

**_Author's note: Still so many questions. What can I say? I like to keep y'all guessing. Right now, the biggest question is: will Tadashi believe Callaghan, or will his faith in Hiro prevail? Stay tuned to find out!_**


	7. Chapter 7

Hiro paced back and forth anxiously.

"Why would anyone do this? It's not like he has any enemies. Callaghan's in prison, so **he** couldn't have done anything. I just don't understand!"

"Hiro, your blood pressure is elevated. This indicates that you are experiencing emotional distress." Baymax said.

"That's because I **am**!" He shouted. "I just got Tadashi back, and now I lost him again, and I don't know where he is, who took him, why they did it, or how to get him back."

"Try to relax, Hiro." Honey said soothingly. "We'll find Tadashi. Baymax can scan for him."

"He already did. They must have him underground somewhere. Even the super sensor can't locate him."

"There's got to be some way we can figure this out." GoGo remarked, putting her hand on Hiro's shoulder. "We're going to get Tadashi back, no matter what it takes."

* * *

><p>Tadashi looked up from the bed that Johnathan had quite literally dropped him in. He was relieved that he had more comfort, but still wanted to be back in the hospital.<p>

"Look, son." Callaghan said softly. "Hiro isn't as innocent as he seems."

"Like I said before, I'm not falling for it. He's my **brother.**"

"Maybe this will change your mind." He replied, picking up a small remote and pressing a button, lowering a large TV. "I was fortunate enough that the security cameras on the island where Hiro and his gang attacked me managed to capture what happened."

"So, it caught you in the act."

"No. It caught **them **in the act." With the push of another button, the screen flickered on, revealing footage from the island.

_Hiro was glaring up at Callaghan; a dark, malicious look in his eyes._

_"Baymax, destroy." _He commanded in a harsher tone than Tadashi ever remembered hearing from him.

_"My programming prevents me from injuring a human being." Baymax replied._

_"Not anymore." With that same dark look in his eyes, Hiro quickly opened the robot's access port, ripped out his healthcare chip, and threw it across the room._

_"Hiro, this is not what-" Before Baymax could finish, the teenager shut the access port, and the robot's eyes glowed red._

_"Do it, Baymax! Destroy him!"_

Tadashi watched in horror; his eyes wide.

"N-no…"

"I'm sorry you had to learn it this way." Callaghan said, turning the TV off. "Your brother is dangerous. You just saw indisputable proof of it. He's lying about me, and most likely, he's lying about you."

"About **me**?"

"Exactly. What explanation did he give regarding why you were in the burning building in the first place?"

"He said I ran in to save you."

"Ridiculous. You never left the building in the first place, and you got trampled and knocked unconscious trying to help the fleeing crowd. By the time I found you, I thought you were dead, but in case you weren't, I grabbed the neurotransmitter, used Hiro's microbots, and shielded both of us just before the explosion that would have ended us both."

"So…you really did save my life…" He wished that he could've had even a speck of doubt, but that security footage was impossible to fake. Hiro had been willing to kill in cold blood. He'd seen it with his own eyes. It was hard to take, especially after seeing him in the hospital, seeming so vulnerable. But, facts were facts. Callaghan had to be telling him the truth.

"I only did what any good person would do." He said warmly. "And once I had the microbots, I decided to use them to rebuild the portal that Abigail was trapped in. I had hoped I could bring her back myself, but then things went out of control, and the portal started destroying Mr. Krei's building. That's when Hiro and his friends swooped in and tried to make it seem like I was the bad guy, and that **they** were the saviors. They destroyed the microbots, and Hiro and Baymax went in and got Abigail themselves. I was framed, thrown in jail like a common criminal, and had my daughter taken away from me. Now, Hiro's been spreading his lies to turn her against me. He's already got most of San Fransokyo in the palm of his hand, but I can't let him fool Abigail."

"That's why you need me. To stop him from turning her against you." Tadashi thought out loud.

"Exactly. I want my life to get back on track, and your brother will stop at nothing to prevent that."

"But, how am I supposed to beat them? They're five practiced fighters with special abilities and a potentially killer robot, and I'm just one scarred, weakened guy with such a bad concussion that he can't sit up without puking."

"My bad." Johnathan shrugged. Callaghan chuckled, but otherwise ignored him.

"That's why we need to take good care of you. And like the six of them, we're going to need to give you some upgrades."

"Such as?"

"Anything. The sky's the limit. I'm a world-renowned scientist specializing in modern robotics, and Johnathan happens to be a multi-billionaire weapons designer. We can make you more powerful than all of Big Hero 6 combined."

"And it'll help people, right?"

"Of course it will. And I know it's not your top priority, but it'll help you, too. I've examined your wounds, and most of them left permanent damage, but we can fix those problems."

"Alright. Let's do it."

"Not yet. This will take some time. But have patience. There's a reason this place is underground. Hiro can't find us in here, so we don't need to rush."

"Okay…" As Callaghan started to turn away, Tadashi stopped him. "Hey, Robert?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you…for telling me the truth…"

"Anything for my best student."

**_Author's Note: Dun dun dunnn! This chapter was painful to write, because I hate turning Tadashi against Hiro, but at the same time, I love the angst. What do you guys think will happen next?_**

**_(Also, I'm making myself hate Callaghan even more than before)_**


	8. Chapter 8

**_Author's note: To everyone who started reading this thinking it would be fluffy, I am very sorry. _****_No, I'm not._****_ Unfortunately for Tadashi, Hiro, and the gang, things have to get _****_much, much_****_ worse before they get better. But, obviously, there's going to be a happy ending that makes the suffering worth it. So, without further ado, here's Chapter 8:_**

Hiro let out a sigh, re-examining the data from Baymax's scans for the fifth time that day.

"Hiro, when was the last time you slept?" Wasabi asked concernedly.

"About five days ago." He replied with a yawn, grabbing his cup of coffee. He didn't even like the drink, but it gave him energy, and that was what he needed.

"It's been ages, Hiro. I hate to say this, but if we were going to find Tadashi, it would've happened by now." GoGo said quietly.

"Are you saying he's…dead?"

"It's entirely possible."

"No…he can't be. He's out there somewhere, and we're going to find him."

Callaghan had kept his word that he and Johnathan would take their time. It was a full three months before they really got down to business with developing their ideas. In that one span of time, Tadashi had changed. A lot. His motivations and goals remained the same. Helping people would always be his main priority. But, everything else was quite different. As soon as he was on his feet, he had thrown himself into his work, spending hours sketching out maps of the city, examining blueprints, and reading up on Big Hero 6. His nearly ever-present smile had faded, and he became stiff, formal, and serious. There was less inflection to his speech, and he began to mimic the habits of Johnathan and Callaghan, walking with their posture, going where they went, showing the same interests as them. He was losing himself more and more by the day, which was exactly what the duo had planned. If it weren't for the fact that he walked with a noticeable limp, he would seem inhuman. His loss of memory had proved to be a perfect opportunity for them to take advantage of. They were able to twist and mold him however they wanted with manipulation and little white lies. It was all but brainwash.

"Robert, how much longer do we have to wait?" He asked one day.

"Not much longer. We've been developing the prototypes, and they should be done soon."

"May I see them?"

"Of course. Follow me." He led him down the hallway into his lab, where Johnathan was hard at work. Tadashi eyed the inventions inquisitively.

"What's this? They look like just a bunch of individual pieces. Where's the suit?"

"There's no suit. We're going to fuse these robotics with your body. They'll make you unstoppable without the need for any extra armor." Tadashi limped over to the table where some of them were laying, and picked up a robotic arm. "So, you're giving me a third arm?" He asked tentatively.

"Not exactly." Callaghan replied. "We'll be replacing your bad one." He gestured to his scar-covered limb. "Of course, that will require amputation." Tadashi glanced down at it, as well, trying to clench his fist, but letting out a sigh as his fingers simply twitched. He didn't know what he had expected. He'd had limited motion from his left shoulder down to his fingers since he first woke up, and it had only gotten worse as time went on. He suspected it was thanks to Johnathan's rather rough treatment of him during recovery.

"I guess it **is **pretty useless at this point."

"I'm glad you say that. There are a few other changes we'll have to make, as well. All of them will be integrated into your body, and give you special abilities to defeat Big Hero 6. Essentially, you'll become half human, half robot."

"Is that safe?"

"We're 99% sure that it is."

"I like those odds. When should it all be done?"

"I'd say a few weeks."

"And then we go stop Hiro?"

"Exactly."

"Perfect." He smiled eerily. "I want to help."

"Alright. Johnathan's working on your new leg. Go do whatever he tells you to."

"Of course, Robert." He nodded respectfully, limping over to where the other scientist was at work.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was told to assist you."

"Alright, uh…go get me a Danish and a cup of coffee."

"I don't see how that-"

"Just do it."

"Alright, Johnathan."

"That's **Master **Johnathan to you."

"Of course." He looked down shamefully. He'd never been told to call either of them "Master" before. Now, he almost felt like their pet. _No. _He thought. _We're doing this to help people. I just need to show more respect. I'm not here to be my own individual person. I'm here to assist them, and I'm lucky to be here._ "I'll go do that, Master Johnathan." He turned on his good heel and limped towards the door.

"One cream, two sugars!" The scientist called after him.

"Yes, sir."

"And do be polite! Ask Master Callaghan if he wants anything." Tadashi flinched at his words and harsh tone.

"Would you like anything from the kitchen, Master Callaghan?"

"Just some green tea will do." He replied.

"I'll get right on that, sir."

"Thank you." Callaghan smiled and went back to his work as Tadashi left the room.

"I must admit, while I hated the thought of having him around, he's proven to be quite helpful." Johnathan remarked. "And **so** obedient."

"I told you, Johnathan. That boy's so eager to please, he'll do anything." He looked down at the metallic arm with a smirk. "He'll even let us turn him into a monster."


	9. Chapter 9

A month later, Hiro was the only one who hadn't given up hope.

"There's got to be somewhere we haven't checked!" He exclaimed, pacing back and forth. "What about Callaghan's house?"

"We've checked there three times, Hiro." Wasabi sighed. "There's nobody in there."

"Well, let's check again!"

"Hiro…"

"If he's not there, we can give up this whole thing."

"Alright…" GoGo said with a sigh.

"Come on, let's go!"

They all climbed on Baymax and he flew them downtown towards Callaghan's house. The second they landed, Hiro threw open the door and ran inside. Just like the last three times, it seemed completely empty.

"We have to look around." He thought out loud. The others exchanged glances, preparing to comfort Hiro when Tadashi was nowhere to be found. He didn't pay any attention to them, and thoroughly searched every room. He looked under furniture, in closets, and in every other place that there could conceivably be anything, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Letting out a sigh, he slumped down on the floor, leaning against a bookshelf.

"Hiro, we're so sorry…" Honey said quietly.

"He…he's really gone…"

"Look, buddy…" Fred started, but then stopped mid-sentence. "Wait a second…" The bookshelf had moved slightly, and behind it was what appeared to be a hole in the wall. "Maybe we shouldn't give up just yet."

"What?" Hiro looked up at him and stood up. Without answering, he started pushing the bookshelf sideways along the wall. Baymax joined in, speeding up the process, and everyone gasped at the sight of a doorway that had been hidden behind it.

"I knew it!" Hiro exclaimed. "Come on!"

"Calm down, little man." Wasabi said quickly. "Don't risk running into danger. Let's take it slow." Together, they all tip-toed through the passageway, down a flight of concrete stairs.

* * *

><p>"Master Callaghan." Tadashi said, walking over to the former professor. "I'm picking up a signal from the security system. There's an intruder coming down the east staircase."<p>

"**What**?" His eyes widened, and he quickly dashed over to a large screen displaying the live feed from the security cameras he had installed. "Big Hero 6." He snarled. "Looks like your training needs to be cut short, Tadashi. You need to fight **now**."

"I'll make them wish they never set foot in our headquarters." He snarled, walking out the door with his fists clenched.

"Wait." Johnathan halted him. "We need to catch them by surprise. Callaghan, come with me. Tadashi, you're our greatest weapon. You'll join us last."

* * *

><p>"My sensors are detecting three people. The signals are all male." Baymax said.<p>

"One of them's got to be Tadashi." Hiro whispered.

"They are coming closer."

"Shh!" Wasabi shushed Baymax. "We can't let them know we're coming."

"Oh, we already know." Callaghan said stepping into view. "And don't bother whispering. We can see and hear everything in here."

"Callaghan." Hiro snarled.

"It's nice to know we don't have to concern ourselves with introductions." Johnathan smirked, stepping out beside his partner. Hiro raised an eyebrow.

"I know you two have Tadashi. What have you done to him?"

"They only told me the truth." The other two scientists stepped aside, revealing Tadashi, who was strolling towards them casually, but with an air of malice about him. Hiro let out a gasp. Tadashi had looked different in the hospital, but now he was nearly unrecognizable. All his limbs but his right arm were metallic, and made electronic whirring noises with his every move. His right eye had been replaced with a cybernetic one that practically glowed bright blue, and there was a small black barcode tattooed below it. His expression was darker than any of them had seen before. This wasn't the Tadashi they knew and loved.

"Guys, he's a cyborg!" Fred exclaimed. "That's awesome!" Hiro didn't see it in such a positive light.

"Tadashi…what have they **done **to you?" He asked again.

"They made me see how things really are. **You **are the enemy, not them."

"What?"

"Tadashi, attack them."

"Yes, Master Callaghan."

"**Master**?" Hiro managed to cry out before Tadashi charged at the group. His arm extended out, grabbing a still awestruck Fred and throwing him against the wall brutally

"Freddie!" Honey shouted, then quickly pressed the buttons on her bag, mixing chemicals together. A pink sphere emerged, and she threw it at him. It expanded in a bright pink foam, encasing his legs, but he quickly jumped out of it; thrusters on the bottom of his feet pushing him upwards with great force and levitating him in the air a few feet above the ground. He zoomed over to her, grabbed her bag, and crushed it in one hand, then turned on her with a smirk. Wasabi quickly sprang into action, slicing at him with his lasers, but he deflected them with ease and tossed him and Honey into the jail cell that he had woken up in ages ago.

"That's it." GoGo scoffed, throwing one of her disks at him. He quickly jumped up, flipping upside down and hanging down from the ceiling.

"Nice try." He chuckled and jumped to the ground, grabbing the disk out of midair and breaking it in half. He tried to pursue GoGo, and she sped away from him, circling the room with speed that was usually unmatched. But Callaghan had taken everything into account, and Tadashi managed to catch up with her with ease. Grabbing the speedster by the back of her suit, he picked her up off the ground and threw her in the cell with the others, and added Fred to the bunch for good measure. He locked it, and turned on the two who remained.

"Baymax, stop him!" Hiro shouted. The robot reached for his creator, but Tadashi ducked, and ripped the armor off of his chest. A small knife emerged from the cyborg's finger, and he ripped open Baymax's vinyl exterior.

"Oh no." He said, deflating quickly. Hiro glared up at his brother. Now, it was personal.

"Tadashi, stop this!" He commanded.

"I don't take orders from you." He answered, grabbing Hiro by the throat and pinning him against the wall. The teenager struggled to get away, but his grip only tightened.

"Good job, Tadashi." Callaghan commended him. "Now, kill him." Hiro tensed, preparing for the worst, but to his surprise, his brother's grip loosened significantly.

"You never said I'd be killing anyone, Master Callaghan."

"But Hiro is the enemy."

"You said we'd stop him, not murder him." He dropped Hiro and turned to face Callaghan.

"Stop defying me, Tadashi."

"I'm sorry, Master Callaghan. But, I don't feel comfortable killing anyone."

How you **feel** doesn't matter. Just kill him!" Johnathan snarled.

"If I kill him, that'll make all of us as bad as he is." He glanced over at the members of the team, who were watching in confusion and fear. In a flash, he sped over to the cell, unlocked it, and pulled them out. They rushed to Hiro's side and helped him to his feet. "Get out of here. All of you. And **never **come back." He snarled.

"What are you doing?" Callaghan asked angrily.

"I can't follow orders this time, Master Callaghan. But, I can get the enemy to leave." The team all ran out, dragging a deflating Baymax with them. Callaghan and Johnathan watched helplessly, knowing that Tadashi had made up his mind, and they couldn't do anything to change it. As soon as they were out, they approached him angrily.

"You **traitor**!" Johnathan snarled. "Do you realize what you've done?"

"I…I…"

"You disobeyed us, and now our greatest enemies know where we are and what we're doing." Callaghan shouted, giving him a vicious slap.

"I'm sorry, Master Callaghan."

"Sorry won't cut it. Now, follow me to the lab. You need to be punished." Tadashi looked down at the floor in shame.

"Yes, Master."


	10. Chapter 10

When they arrived home, battered and exhausted, Hiro started working on fixing Baymax. Honey soon joined in to help, after he accidentally pricked himself with a sewing needle.

"Here, I got this. You need some rest."

"How am I supposed to rest?" He tossed his helmet into a chair and flopped down on the bed. Despite his words, he was exhausted. "It's bad enough that Callaghan's got Tadashi, but now he's turned him into…into a weapon…" He sighed. "I'm not even sure we can undo this. Maybe we can't be the heroes this time."

"No way." GoGo said adamantly. "We didn't give up on Tadashi when he was missing, and we aren't giving up on him now. So woman up, and help us get to work. It'll be hard, but we can do it."

"How? He's been completely brainwashed. We would need time to get him alone and show him who he really is. But, with Callaghan and his partner around, there really aren't a ton of opportunities…"

"Simple. We get him out of there."

"Wait, wait. Are you suggesting that we **kidnap **Tadashi?" Wasabi asked.

"Exactly."

That night, they all snuck back to the house.

"They're probably asleep by now." Honey whispered. "We just need to get in, find Tadashi, and get out."

"What if he wakes up?"

"Baymax can sedate him." Hiro suggested. Normally, he'd be against sedating his own brother, but Tadashi wasn't exactly himself at the time.

"Alright. Let's get in there." Fred whispered. Thanks to the fact that they had left their armor at home, they could move with a lot more stealth. They tip-toed down the stairs, walked down the hallway, and searched for where the men had hidden their new weapon. Once they found the room, Hiro let out a gasp.

"Tadashi..." His brother was sound asleep; wincing in pain and shuddering with every breath, even in slumber. His face was covered in bruises, and a large, fresh scar extended over his left eye and down to his chin. His one real arm was covered in blood, and his cheeks were tear-streaked. Hiro could barely look at him. He knew that after his brother had disobeyed Callaghan, he would surely be punished, but he never could have expected this. "We need to get him out of here."

"How can we do that, exactly?" Wasabi asked.

"Baymax can carry him."

"Tadashi is in need of medical attention." The robot said, gently picking him up.

"You can patch him up at home. Right now, we need to get out of here without being caught." As if on cue, Tadashi's eyes snapped open.

"**Intrud**-" He started to shout, but GoGo quickly covered his mouth. He struggled to get out of Baymax's grip, but in his weakened state, he could barely move.

"Fighting us will get you nowhere, Tadashi." Hiro said quietly. "We need to get you out of here, and up to safety. Baymax can take care of you." The cyborg shook his head vehemently, prying GoGo's hand away from his mouth.

"Stop lying to me!" He hissed. "You want me to betray my masters again, but I won't!"

"Do you really want to be loyal to people who beat you like this?"

"A traitor deserves whatever punishment he gets."

"Who told you that?"

"My masters."

"That's one of many lies they've told. Now, stop struggling. We want to help you."

"You want me dead! I know your plans! You're going to destroy all that's good in the world!"

"No, we're not. Just let us explain."

"No!"

"We're not listening. You're too weak to fight, and you're coming with us."

"No!" He shouted a second time before GoGo covered his mouth again.

"Sorry about this, Tadashi." Honey whispered. "Baymax, the sedative please." The robot pulled out a syringe and injected it into Tadashi's right arm. With one last twitch and quiet protest, he quickly fell into a deep sleep.

"Let's get out of here." Hiro whispered, tip-toeing towards the exit. The others followed close behind, and they were able to get past Johnathan and Callaghan unnoticed, though they knew that security cameras would reveal everything later. Right now, they had to focus on getting Tadashi back on their side. With him as an enemy, they had no chance, and they knew it.

They arrived back the café, and Baymax placed Tadashi on his bed gently, getting to work on his injuries. Hiro slumped down in his chair and let out a sigh.

"What are we going to do when he wakes up?"

"I don't know..." Wasabi sighed. "He clearly doesn't trust us."

"We need to **make** him trust us." GoGo replied.

"All he knows is destruction. When your mind is set on one thing, it's almost impossible to focus on anything else, especially in Tadashi's state." Hiro added.

"Well, if we can jog his memory, that might fix things." Fred suggested.

"But how can we…" Hiro trailed off. "Wait a second! I've got it!"

"Tadashi is waking up." Baymax remarked.

"Now, don't crowd him, guys." Hiro commanded. "Let me talk to him."

Tadashi's eyes blinked open slowly, and the first thing he noticed was Baymax, still tending to his wounds. His eyes wandered around the unfamiliar room, and widened at the sight of Hiro approaching him timidly.

"**You**." He snarled, trying to sit up, but Baymax pushed him back down.

"It is best to remain stationary when recovering from a severe injury."

"I don't care! I need to get out of here."

"Tadashi, please just...just let us explain..." Hiro said timidly.

"I don't see how you can."

"Just give us an hour. If we can't change your mind, you can go back to Callaghan."

"Hiro!" GoGo began to protest.

"Just trust me, okay?" He said softly.

"Alright..." She was hesitant, but didn't protest further.

"One hour. Not a minute more." Tadashi growled.

"That's all I need."


	11. Chapter 11

**_Author's Note: This chapter is horrible, but I'm exhausted, I've been working on it for days, and I just want to post it. So, I apologize if it's no good._**

"Tadashi, what exactly did Callaghan tell you about us?" Hiro asked.

"That you want to destroy him and every other good thing in the world." Tadashi snarled. "He showed me proof. I saw you sic Baymax on him. You tore out his healthcare chip and told him to murder Callaghan, and don't try to deny it!"

"I won't deny it. I admit that I did it, but I wasn't in my right mind. I was angry, I was confused, and I missed you. When I realized that he started the fire-"

"He **didn't **start the fire!" Tadashi interrupted.

"I can get to that later. But, when I heard that it was his fault you were gone…I got mad. Real mad. Once I realized just what I had tried to do, I felt horrible, but in that moment…" He let out a sigh.

"Callaghan saved my life, Hiro. He got me out of that fire alive, even when you didn't help me. You knew I was in there and you did nothing, so why should I believe you?"

"Because he's the one who's lying."

"About what?"

"About everything. And I have more proof than he does. Baymax, play back what really happened on that island." Baymax's screen lit up to reveal the view of dark a hallway. In the background, Fred was singing an improvised theme song loudly.

_"Six intrepid friends led by Fred, their leader, Fred. Fred's Angels. Mm mm mm. Fred's Angels. Mm mm mm. Harnessing the power of the sun with the ancient amulet they found in the attic. Mm mm mm. The amulet is green. Mm mm mm. It's probably an emerald." Wasabi's voice cut in._

_"Fred, I will laser-hand you in the face."_

"I meant later on, Buddy." Hiro chuckled, interrupting the video. "You know, when we got the mask off Callaghan?" The video quickly moved forwards, to reveal the professor lying on the ground; his back turned to the group. Hiro stood up, holding the kabuki mask.

_"It's over, Krei." Callaghan slowly got to his feet, turning around and facing them. "Professor Callaghan?" Hiro's voice was full of shock. "The explosion…you died…"_

_"No. I had your microbots."_

_"But…T-Tadashi. You just let him die…"_

_"Give me the mask, Hiro." Callaghan snarled._

_"He went in there to save you!"_

_"That was __**his **__mistake!" _That was when the video reached the point that Tadashi had seen before. Then, it flashed forwards once again. It was just Hiro this time. There was a small, sad smile on his face and tears in his eyes.

_"Thank you, Baymax." He said quietly. "I'm __**so **__sorry… I guess I'm not like my brother…"_

_"Hiro…" GoGo's voice said in the background, and the camera panned to show the whole team walking into the garage. Hiro climbed down from the stool he was standing on, and walked towards them. _

_"Guys, I…I…" Before he could finish, GoGo pulled him into a hug. _

_"We're going to catch Callaghan. And this time, we'll do it right."_

The video faded away, and Tadashi looked up at the group.

"I…I don't understand."

"Understand that Callaghan's lying about us. You saw what he said. He doesn't care about you, or us, or anyone other than himself and Abigail. We **need **you to trust us on this."

"I…I can't. He saved my life. He gave me the power to help more people than I can even imagine. What have **you** guys given me?"

"A lot more than you can remember."

"Such as?"

"Love, friendship, support… We're a family, Tadashi. And I can assure you that we all see you as one of us. Callaghan and his lackey just see you as their slave."

"Shut up!" Tadashi screamed, clutching his head as if it would help him comprehend what was going on. "It's not…true…" His voice faltered, and Hiro knew it was working.

"If they think so highly of you, why do they make you call them your masters? Why do they beat you when you do what you know is right? Why do they keep you locked away from the world like some kind of freak?"

"Because…because…"

"We **love **you, Tadashi." Hiro gently squeezed his brother's hand. "We see you as a person, and we always have. They look at you and see nothing but a weapon."

"They said I'd be used for good."

"And what have they used you for so far?"

"All they had me do was attack…you…" He trailed off. After a moment of silence, Hiro walked over to his bedside table and grabbed Tadashi's hat.

"You know, you used to wear this all the time." He said with a knowing smile, tossing it to him. "You even wore it to the showcase. It fell off when you went into the fire. For a while, I thought it was all I had left of you."

"And you…kept it?"

"Of course I did. You're my brother, and I love you. Losing you hurt more than I can describe. If you actually died now, would Callaghan miss you like I did? Would he keep something of yours so that he could always feel close to you?"

"No… He wouldn't. I'm just his prototype. I don't matter."

"Prototype?" GoGo asked.

"You didn't think I'd be the only one of my kind, did you?" His voice shook slightly. "Callaghan's starting an army of people just like me. He said that they'll be used to save the world, but…maybe…maybe they won't be."

"So, you won't join them?"

"I never was supposed to. Like I said, I'm a prototype. When they're done with me, I'll be let go of."

"Wait. They're just…letting you leave?" Hiro asked.

"No, they're going to kill me. I thought that would be clear." Everyone else's eyes widened.

"And you still want to go back?"

"I don't see how death would sway me. As I said, I'm just a prototype."

"You're also a person!"

"**Not anymore!" **Tadashi screamed, making the others all flinch, especially Hiro.

"Tadashi…" He said; his voice quiet and sad. "You're so much more than a machine."

"No... I'm **not**."

"He's messed with your mind. He doesn't want you to see the truth. But you need to open up to the world. Open up to us. We love you. We know who you are. Just try to remember. **Please**."

"I…I can't…"


	12. Chapter 12

It hurt Hiro to see his brother like this. He couldn't imagine everything that Callaghan had done to him.

"Tadashi…please just try to remember…"

"Hiro, stop it."

"My hour's not up. You already know that Callaghan has been lying to you. What's holding you back?"

"I told you, I'm just a machine. What I want doesn't matter."

"That's a lie. Everything they've ever told you in that place is a **lie**!"

"**Shut up!**"

"**No!** I want my brother back! Callaghan took you away from me once, Tadashi. I'm not letting him do it again!"

"Hiro, calm down…" Honey said concernedly.

"I can't calm down! I won't! I…" He looked back at his brother, and tears started rolling down his cheeks. Burying his face in Tadashi's shoulder, he let out a quiet sob. "I miss you…" Instinctively, the older boy wrapped his real arm around his little brother. He seemed bewildered by his own behavior, but still didn't let go. "I need you to come back." Hiro whimpered.

"I can't..." Tadashi's voice was soft; almost human. _Almost_.

"Callaghan can't stop you from doing anything." GoGo said. "You can be free."

"How?"

"Just stay with us. Don't let Callaghan tell you what to do."

"I can't act without orders. I don't know how."

"We can teach you."

"What's in it for you?"

"We get our friend back."

"You keep using that word. 'Friend.' Why is that so important to you? I've never heard Callaghan use it before. What does it even mean?"

"Well…a friend is somebody you care about and enjoy spending time with. Someone who's always got your back. You would do anything for them, and they'd do the same for you."

"That sounds too good to be true."

"Well, it's not. And **we're** your friends."

"Why?"

"Because you're a great guy." Honey replied. "And we all love you, Tadashi."

"I don't understand…" A look of confusion and anxiety spread over his face.

"Then, we need you to remember."

"And how will you make that happen?"

"We need something to jog your memory…" Hiro mumbled; his face still buried in his brother's shoulder.

"Like what?"

"I don't know, but I'm not giving up on you." Suddenly, Tadashi's eyes widened.

"W-what did you say?"

"I said I'm not giving up on you." That phrase was so foreign, but so familiar at the same time. A faint blur of a memory flashed through his head, and he stared down at Hiro in silence.

"Tadashi?" Honey asked. "Are you okay?" He still didn't respond for a moment, then looked up; another familiar sentence echoing through his head.

"Look for a new angle…" The others exchanged glances.

"I think he's remembering!" Fred exclaimed. Hiro looked up at his brother in bewilderment.

"There's not a lot…" Tadashi mumbled. "But there's more than before."

"Well, we're not stopping now! Come on!" Hiro leaped out of bed, grabbing his older brother's hand and pulled him to his feet.

"Where are we going?"

"To the café. We're going to make you remember everything." He dragged him out of the room and down the stairs, pointing out nearly every picture on the wall. "See, here's the day we got Mochi, our cat. And there's you with our parents. And that one's us with Aunt Cass. Then over there is our high school graduation, and there's one of you and the gang right after you got into SFIT." They reached the bottom of the stairs, and Hiro pointed to the newest one. "That one's my personal favorite." Tadashi looked at it closely. Unlike the others, this one was a selfie. The entire group was together, all with smiles on their faces, though Hiro looked tense. It was so familiar. Too familiar. "Honey took that right before I presented my microbots at the showcase. After the fire, we thought it would be the last picture ever taken of you."

"We look so happy…" Tadashi mumbled, putting a hand to his head as more memories flooded his mind.

"Because we were together." Honey replied.

"And Hiro was finally doing something productive instead of bot fighting." Wasabi added. "You'd been trying to get him to come to school for ages." Tadashi glanced over at a shelf on the wall, and caught a glimpse of a rather goofy-looking but powerful robot. He'd seen it before, without a doubt. Then, the memory hit him.

_"You'd better make this up to Aunt Cass before she eats everything in the café." He said, hanging up his helmet, and tossing his blazer onto the bed._

_"For sure." Hiro replied; his eyes glued to his computer screen._

_"And I hope you learned your lesson, Bonehead."_

_"Absolutely." His brother's voice was firm, but his posture and expression made it clear that he was lying._

_"You're going bot fighting, aren't you?"_

_"There's a fight across town. If I book, I can still make it." Hiro started towards the door and grabbed Megabot, but Tadashi took hold of his hood, stopping him in his tracks._

_"When are you going to start doing something with that big brain of yours?"_

_"What? Go to college like you? So people can tell me stuff I already know?"_

_"Unbelievable."_

Tadashi grabbed hold of the robot, then looked back at Hiro.

"This…this was the one you used for the bot fights, wasn't it?"

"Yeah… And it inspired me to make the microbots."

"I remember that…"

"You…you do?"

"Yeah…"

"Then, we're getting closer! You just need one more push!"

"I don't **think** so." A familiar voice growled behind them. Hiro turned around, and his eyes widened in terror.

"Callaghan…"


	13. Chapter 13

_**Author's Note: So for some reason, this chapter wouldn't show up when I clicked on the story, so I'm reposting it. Sorry for the inconvenience.**_

"Enough of this foolishness, Tadashi." Callaghan scoffed, taking a step towards the group. "You should be fighting these **monsters**."

"They're not monsters." Tadashi snapped. "They're my friends."

"We both know you don't mean that."

"No. We don't."

"Are you defying me?"

"Yes. That's exactly what I'm doing."

"You're letting your emotions get in the way of your main objective. Have you forgotten what I taught you about that?"

"No…" His voice got quiet.

"What have I taught you?"

"I am a machine, and machines don't let petty emotions interfere with their commands. They do as told, and never stray."

"So, let me ask again. Are you defying me?"

"No, Master."

"Good boy. Now, get over here. I'll deal with your punishment later." With his head held low, Tadashi walked over to Callaghan's side. "I have half a mind to throw you in the furnace and let you burn like you were supposed to months ago."

"I would deserve it, Master."

"Tadashi, don't listen to him!" Hiro shouted.

"Don't you get it?" Callaghan asked. "He's mine, Hiro. He belongs to me."

"No person belongs to anyone."

"He's not a person anymore. He's nothing but a **weapon**."

"No. He's my brother, and nothing you do to him will change that." Callaghan took a step towards Hiro, looking him right in the eye.

"You underestimate me, boy." He smirked. "Tadashi, dispose of this pest."

"I can't do that, Master."

"And why not?"

"I don't know. I just can't."

"You're pathetic." He snarled, slapping Tadashi across the face.

"I know…"

"I'll ask you one more time."

"And I'll still say no."

"Oh, I wish you hadn't. Now, I have no reason to keep you alive." With a smirk, Callaghan punched him as hard as he could, sending him falling to the floor. Tadashi let out a whimper of pain, still not recovered from his previous beatings. The older man gave him a kick in the ribs, then turned around, leaving him shaking and whimpering in pain. "If you won't get this pest out of my way, I'll do it myself." Hiro was frozen in fear; his eyes wide.

"C-Callaghan, please rethink this. You'll be arrested again."

"Do you think I care?"

"Apparently not."

"You're smart, kid. But not smart enough." Before Hiro could think twice, Callaghan pulled out a knife with a cruel grin. Every speck of his sanity had clearly gone out the window.

"Hiro!" Honey shouted as the former professor raised his arm, preparing to strike. But, just as he started to stab down, a metal hand grabbed his wrist, holding him back. Callaghan turned to see Tadashi's face glaring at him with a level of anger that he had never seen on him before. The cyborg snatched the knife, threw it on the ground, and pushed Callaghan against the wall; his hands around the older man's throat.

"Let me make this clear, **Callaghan**." He spat out the name as if it left a bitter taste in his mouth. "You can kidnap me, brainwash me, beat me into submission, turn me into a mindless machine and murder me for being incompetent. You know I'm not the kind to fight back. But if you lay one **finger** on my little brother, you'd better prepare yourself for a world of hurt."

"Tadashi, stop rebelling. What have I told you?"

"What you told me means nothing! They were all lies! Every word you said to me was to manipulate me. You don't care about anyone but yourself. You never have!"

"That's enough! You're not supposed to defy me! You're **my **creation!"

"No." He snarled. "I'm not. You had me thinking I was. Until the last second, you took my free will away from me. But you made one crucial mistake. You should have known I'd always protect Hiro, yet you still tried to murder him in front of my very eyes." Callaghan tried to get away, but Tadashi only tightened his grip. "And when I saw that, I remembered the man I saw stealing his microbots immediately after I ran into that building to save him. I remembered seeing you, and realizing how wrong I was. And when I remembered that, I remembered **everything** else. And both then and now, I've had one thing on my mind, and that's to protect Hiro. To save him from danger; from **you**. I couldn't last time, but now I won't stop until you're back in jail where you belong!"

"There you go, always the do-gooder. Anyone else would kill me. You're still weak. It's what you've always been."

"No. I'm not weak. I'm just strong enough not to stoop to your level." He snapped. "I was willing to **die** for you, Callaghan. I wanted nothing more than to help people, and you used that against me to turn me into a weapon of mass destruction. If I wanted you dead, I could have murdered you several times over by now. But unlike you, I hold back. I force myself to let you live, because I know I'd never forgive myself if I became like you. And more than that, Hiro would never forgive me." He turned to the group. "Baymax, have you called the police?"

"Yes. The authorities have been notified, and are on their way now."

"Good." He dropped Callaghan, letting him fall to the floor. GoGo picked up the knife, just in case. "Hiro, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I think so…" He replied; his voice quiet and shaky. Tadashi quickly pulled him into a tight hug. "Uh, Tadashi?"

"Yeah?"

"You're kind of crushing me…"

"Oh, sorry!" He pulled back quickly, looking down at his metal arm. "This thing wasn't exactly programmed to be gentle…" When he felt his brother's hand taking his real one, he looked back up at him.

"So…you're really back?"

"Yeah." He said softly with a smile. "You didn't think I was gone for good, did you, Knucklehead?" He ruffled Hiro's hair.

"I was definitely scared that you might be."

"Well, I'm here now. And I'm not going anywhere." A tear streamed down his cheek, and the rest of the group ran down to join the brothers, pulling them into a group hug. "I love you guys."

"We love you too, buddy." Wasabi replied. After a moment of silence, GoGo spoke up.

"I hate to ruin the moment, but we've still got one more criminal to catch."

"You're right." Tadashi sighed. "Johnathan's got access to the technology, and he's crazy enough to keep trying to make an army."

"Well, we can handle him later." Hiro replied. "Right now, I think the police are here."


	14. Chapter 14

**_Author's Note: This chapter is admittedly not the best one, but I wanted to get a few plot points out for the future, so yeah…_**

The police quickly handcuffed Callaghan.

"This criminal is going to jail for good." One of the two scoffed. "I hope he didn't do any serious damage to you kids."

"He didn't." Tadashi lied, putting his hands behind his back. Extra questioning was the last thing Hiro needed right now. "At least, nothing worth noting at the moment. Though, I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you may have while you investigate."

"Thank you, young man."

"I should be thanking you. Oh, and I just need to warn you, a man named Johnathan Cooper has been working with him. He's hiding out in a secret laboratory under Callaghan's house."

"We'll handle him. Is there anything else we can do for you?"

"Not at the moment. Thank you again, officers." Tadashi smiled.

"You're welcome, son. Have a nice day."

"You too." With a respectful nod, he closed the door and watched them drive away with Callaghan scowling in the back seat. Instantly, he turned around and hugged his brother again, as gently as possible. "You okay, Knucklehead?"

"I'm better now." He smiled. "Promise you'll never leave again..."

"Cross my heart." He smiled. Hiro slowly pulled away, and wiped a tear from his eye. "Now, come on. You still need to lie down."

"Hiro is right." Baymax added. "You have sustained several injuries, and should refrain from excessive motion."

"I'm fine, really."

"You still need to relax. Come on." He took his hand and pulled his brother upstairs. Tadashi smiled when they entered the bedroom, and plopped down on his bed with a relaxed sigh.

"It's good to be home."

"And it's good to **have **you home." Hiro sat down on his own bed slowly. The rest of the gang remained standing. "I just can't believe this is all over."

"I'm not sure it is…" Tadashi sighed.

"Well, the police are handling Johnathan, you're back to your normal self if you don't count the extra robotics, and Callaghan is going back to jail. What else could be wrong?"

"I don't know. I've just got a bad feeling…" He let out a sigh. "It's probably just a little bit of brainwashing left over. They had me completely paranoid 24/7. That doesn't go away so quickly. But, it's all good, really. I'm fine." GoGo walked up to him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"You don't have to pretend to be okay. We know how much you've been through."

"I said I'm **fine**." He snapped. GoGo let out a sigh.

"Hiro, can you leave for a second? We need to talk to Tadashi alone."

"A-alright…" Hiro walked out of the room and into the hallway.

"Tadashi, we see what you're doing." Wasabi said, crossing his arms.

"I'm not doing anything."

"You're trying to be strong for Hiro." Honey argued. "It's a noble thing to do, but right now, you've been through too much to just bottle up your feelings."

"Guys…"

"No." GoGo interrupted. "You need to listen to us. In the last few months, you nearly died, lost your memory, got brainwashed and beaten by two complete psychos who turned you into a literal weapon, and you expect us to believe that you're unaffected by it? We know you want to make Hiro happy, but it'll just hurt you."

"Guys, really. Everything's fine now, and I'm alright." He stood up and walked across the room. "I appreciate your concern, but it's really-" He started to turn towards them, then stopped mid-sentence at the sight of his reflection in a mirror on the wall. His eyes widened, and his face went pale at the sight of his appearance.

"Tadashi?" Wasabi asked with concern in his voice. He didn't respond, and tears filled his eyes almost instantly.

"They really turned me into a monster…" He said after what felt like forever. It was then that the others realized that it was probably the first time he'd seen himself since before the fire. He looked away, letting a sob escape his lips. Honey quickly ran up and hugged him tight.

"You're not a monster, Tadashi."

"Yes…I am…" He tried to pull away.

"No. You're not." A voice behind him said firmly.

"Hiro… You were supposed to wait in the hallway!"

"I **was** in the hallway, but the door isn't exactly soundproof." Tadashi put on a brave face once again, and started to wipe away his tears, but Hiro grabbed his arm to stop him. "They're right, you know." He said softly. "You can't bottle up your emotions. I know from experience." Tadashi looked at him for a moment, expressionless. Then suddenly, he wrapped his arms around his little brother and buried his face in his shoulder, weeping.

"Hiro, I'm so s-sorry. I never wanted to h-hurt you, and now that's all I've d-done, and I… I'm nothing but a m-monster."

"I told you, you're not…" He said softly.

"Yes, I am! All I ever w-wanted was to help people, and n-now Callaghan turned me into nothing but but a w-weapon of mass destruction!"

"Tadashi, listen to me. Just because you're able to cause harm doesn't mean you will. We all could do bad things if we wanted to. Even Baymax could. Do you think Baymax is a monster?"

"No…"

"Then, neither are you. So stop saying that you are. Callaghan did horrible things to you, and that should be what you're upset over, not this. We all love you, no matter what. So stop thinking of yourself as anything less than human, okay?" Tadashi didn't respond for a few moments, but then, after what felt like forever, his quiet voice mumbled:

"Okay…"


	15. Chapter 15

Over the next few days, Hiro couldn't help but notice the changes in Tadashi. He was a lot quieter than he used to be, and spoke only when addressed. Even then, he never made eye contact, and would flinch every time someone moved too suddenly, reached out to touch him, or even spoke too loud. He would spend hours hidden away in his bedroom, showing absolutely no interest in working at the café, or going back to school, or simply leaving the house. He refused to look at his reflection, and there were a few keywords that could instantly reduce him to a shaking, crying mess. He rarely slept, and when he did, he was plagued with nightmares, and would wake up screaming in the middle of the night. Everyone was worried about him, but they knew that any attempt to help could easily backfire. One day, Hiro peeked into the room to see his brother curled up on the bed, as usual.

"Tadashi?" He asked softly, trying not to startle him. "Can I come in?"

"Of course you can." He replied; his voice weary and quiet. "You don't have to ask. It's your room, too." Hiro slowly walked in and stood at the side of his bed.

"How're you feeling?"

"Tired…" He mumbled. "But I don't want to sleep…"

"Well, is there anything I can do?"

"Not that I can think of."

"Okay…" He paused for a moment, before changing the subject. "So, the gang and I agreed to go back to school tomorrow. Do you…want to join us?"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"People will be afraid of me."

"No, they won't."

"You don't know that. Besides, I don't want to go to school anymore, anyway." That hit Hiro hard.

"Tadashi…you **love **school. It's your favorite place in the world."

"Not anymore…"

"Why not? You've always seemed happiest there."

"I can't really deal with **any** emotions right now, Hiro." He sighed. "I just…need some time, okay?"

"O-okay…" Hiro looked down at the ground sadly.

"Maybe someday, things can be normal again." Tadashi mumbled. "I know how hard this is for you, but…I just…" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Hiro watched him carefully, and realized that he was trembling. Instinctively, he put a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder, but he flinched and pulled away with a quiet whimper. Hiro withdrew his hand quickly.

"Sorry…"

"It's fine…"

"No, it's not. You deserve better than this, Tadashi. You've done nothing but good things with your life. I'd still be out bot fighting if it wasn't for you."

"Well, that doesn't change what happened."

"I know, but I still need to help you get through this. I don't know how, but I'll do it."

"This isn't something that can be fixed. I told you, I just need time."

"No!" Hiro shouted louder than he had intended. Tadashi flinched again, and looked at his brother with wide eyes, shaking. Hiro's face softened, and he looked away. "Tadashi, I…"

"C-could you go now? Please?" He interrupted.

"Okay… If you need anything, you know where to find me…"

"Yeah…"

"Should I send Baymax up with lunch?"

"No, I'm good…"

"Okay, well…see you, I guess…" He turned to walk out the door when Tadashi stopped him.

"Wait…"

"Yeah?"

"I…I need to ask you something…"

"Of course. Anything."

"Why did you risk so much just to rescue me?"

"Because you never gave up on me. It was about time I returned the favor. Besides, I couldn't just go through life knowing that you were alive and suffering." He let out a sigh. "After the fire, I was completely…broken. Losing you was the most painful thing that ever happened to me. I was starting to adjust when all this started, but it still wasn't the same. If it meant saving your life, I would do anything."

"So, you…you don't regret it?"

"Not for a second. Why?"

"Because...part of me thinks it would have been easier on all of you if I had died in that fire…"

"Tadashi, don't say that…please…" He quickly corrected himself, knowing that direct orders were still triggering to his brother. "I beg you, don't think that way. We all love you, and I don't care what we all had to go through. You're alive, and that's all that matters."

"Really?"

"Absolutely."

Meanwhile, back in the basement of the school, something much more sinister was brewing.

"Those pesky kids think they can ruin **everything**." Johnathan muttered, pacing back and forth with an insane look in his eyes. He had accessed the camera in Tadashi's cybernetic eye and watched as Callaghan was taken away, then fled when he realized that the police were coming. He'd been hiding out in SFIT ever since. "I'll show them. All I need is one more test subject. Just **one** last victim."


	16. Chapter 16

Two weeks later, the gang was still having trouble getting back into routine. Hiro was exhausted, to say the least. He had spent his nights watching over Tadashi, making sure he was okay, and barely got any sleep. Even away from home, his mind was occupied with thoughts of his brother. He had trouble focusing in class, and spent any moment of free time to call home and check in.

So on the one day he didn't, Tadashi couldn't help but worry.

"Aunt Cass?" He called out, stepping into the café for the first time in ages, trying to ignore the strange looks he got from everyone in the room. "Has Hiro called you yet today?"

"No, but he's probably just busy." She shrugged. Tadashi tensed up and ran back upstairs.

"Baymax, video call the gang." He ordered, rushing up to him. Baymax dialed Honey's phone first, and her face appeared on Baymax's screen.

"Hey, Tadashi! How are you?" She asked.

"Oh, the usual. Anyway, have you seen Hiro today?"

"I...I thought he was at home..."

"He left for school this morning. Are you sure you didn't just not notice him?"

"Positive. He hasn't been in any of the classes we have together." Tadashi's eyes widened in worry.

"Then, where is he?"

"I don't know..."

"I'm coming over there." Tadashi announced suddenly. "Something's definitely wrong." Before Honey could reply, he hung up and rushed to his dresser, pulling on jeans, a t-shirt, his favorite cardigan, and his signature baseball hat, then sprinted out the door. He paid no attention to the stares and whispers of the people he passed. All he knew was that Hiro was in trouble. Utilizing the added speed that his cybernetics gave him, he reached the school incredibly quickly. He looked around, performing a DNA scan to see if Hiro was there, but there were so many people in the area that he couldn't lock on to anyone. Then he remembered the GPS tracking system he had installed in Hiro's hoodie. He pulled out his phone and quickly located him. With a sigh of relief, he ran into his brother's lab, preparing to give him a talking-to. But upon arriving, his eyes widened when he saw the state of the room. Hiro had never been particularly neat, but there had clearly been a scuffle of some sort. A lamp had been knocked down, papers were scattered everywhere, and worst of all, Hiro's favorite hoodie, the one with the tracking device, was lying in the middle of the floor. "No!" Tadashi shouted, pulling out his phone again in one last attempt to contact his brother. He dialed his number, shaking in fear. There was no way this was something good. The phone rang once, twice, and started to ring a third time before someone picked it up, but the voice at the other end was definitely not Hiro.

"Tadashi, what a pleasant surprise." He let out a gasp, recognizing the voice instantly.

"Johnathan." He snarled, hoping his voice didn't reflect the fear that absolutely consumed him the instant he heard the man speak his name.

"I was wondering how long it'd take for you to come after your precious little Hiro. You're even more overprotective than he says. It barely took you a few hours to get worried."

"What have you done with him?"

"Nothing... Yet. But that won't last long."

"If you lay a finger on him, mark my words, I'll-"

"What? You'll kill me? Johnathan asked in a mocking tone.

"If that's what it takes."

"You don't have it in you."

"Maybe you underestimate me."

"I doubt it. If you wouldn't murder Big Hero 6 when we ordered you to, you'll never lay a finger on me of your own accord."

"Try me." He hung up and took a deep breath, shaking. He knew Johnathan was right. He wouldn't hurt a fly. But he would die a million times over before letting Hiro go through the ordeal that he had. Luckily, Callaghan had installed a cybernetic chip into him, full of advanced applications that Johnathan didn't even know about, and one of those could allow him to track any piece of technology he had come in contact with, and now, he could easily locate the phone, and Johnathan. "Don't worry, Hiro. I'm coming for you."


	17. Chapter 17

"Hiro!" Tadashi called out, running into the basement frantically. "Hiro, are you in here?"

"Tadashi!" Hiro's voice called out. "I'm over here!" The older boy let out a sigh of relief and ran to his brother's side, pulling him into a hug.

"Oh, thank god. I was worried sick!"

"There's no reason to be worried, Tadashi. I'm fine."

"You were still **kidnapped**."

"But it was for a good cause. Master Johnathan is going to help us."

"W-what?" Tadashi asked, hoping he was hearing things.

"He's going to make me strong like you, Tadashi. We're going to help people together." Tadashi released his grip, pulling way, and looking him in the eye. This couldn't be happening. Not to Hiro.

"Please don't say that. I-it's not true! Johnathan's the bad guy here. He'll do nothing but hurt you."

"How could you say that about our master?"

"He's not our master!"

"Yes, he is. And he's going to save us both. You just need to listen to him." Hiro insisted.

"No, I need to get you out of here before he turns you into...into someone like me."

"But I want to be like you, Tadashi. I want to be strong."

"Hiro, trust me. This is no blessing. It's a curse. I know Johnathan has you brainwashed, but you need to think this through."

"I've thought it through plenty. I want Master Johnathan to help us. We can be heroes and fight crime. Together. We never have to lose each other again. Just join us. Stop resisting."

"Listen to the boy, Tadashi." A painfully familiar voice said from behind them. Tadashi stood and turned to face Johnathan. "Come join us. Be a part of our happy little family."

"I will **never **join you."

"And here, I thought you were smart."

"Nobody in their right mind would happily give up their entire lives to a monster like you."

"I'm offering you the deal of a lifetime." Johnathan took a step towards him. "I'll let you and your brother live, and continue to make you stronger and more powerful. You two can have anything you want if you just come back to my side. But if you turn me down, I'll make your life a living hell. I'll tear your precious Hiro apart, limb from limb, and make you watch. I'll destroy everything and everyone you've ever loved, and if you try to stop me, then I'll make sure you **burn** like you were **supposed** to ages ago."

"You programmed me to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than any other person who's ever lived. If you tried to fight me, you wouldn't stand a chance. Now, let my brother go."

"Never. You underestimate me, and you always have, **prototype**." The word made Tadashi flinch as if he had been struck. His eyes drifted to the floor, and he wrapped his arms around himself, stepping backwards and shaking. "Look what I can reduce you to. You may be physically strong, but you're a weakling." Johnathan strolled towards him with a cruel smirk, and the 21-year-old kept backing away until he was up against a wall with nowhere left to go. The mad scientist grabbed his chin and forcibly tilted his head up to look him in the eyes. His touch was cold as ice, and Tadashi wanted to scream.

"P-please…leave us alone…"

"Never." He smirked. "Now, my little machine, it's up to you. Bow down to me, or suffer the consequences."

"I…I…"

"**Answer me**!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. Tadashi opened his mouth to answer, but only a little squeak came out before he broke down crying. "Pathetic." Johnathan snarled, letting him fall to the ground and kicking him in the side.

"Master?" Hiro spoke up. "Can I have a word with my brother? Maybe I can knock some sense into him."

"Alright, go ahead."

"With all due respect, I think he'll be easier to work with if we're alone."

"If it works." Johnathan shrugged, stepping out of the room. The instant he was gone, Hiro's demeanor changed instantly. He rushed to Tadashi's side with a worried look on his face, and pulled him into a hug.

"Shh…it's going to be okay." He whispered.

"No, it's not…" Tadashi whimpered; tears still streaming down his cheeks. "That maniac is going to destroy us, and you don't even realize how horrible it is."

"Yes, I do."

"But, he has you brainwashed…" Hiro chuckled quietly.

"Dude, I'm totally faking it."

"Wait, what?"

"It'll take more than an hour to get into **my **head. I figured I'd go along with it so I can help stop Johnathan from the inside."

"What if he hurts you?"

"He won't. I'm just worried about you."

"I'm fine." He lied.

"Well, anyway, Johnathan's got us now. But, we can take him down. I promise."

"Thank you…"

"I'm just doing what's right. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you right away."

"No, I get it. You couldn't blow your cover."

"Yeah…"

"Could you use some help?"


	18. Chapter 18

When Johnathan walked back into the room, Tadashi and Hiro looked up at him with soft smiles. Show time.

"Hiro, were you able to show your brother the truth?"

"Yes, Master. He's on our side again." Johnathan turned to Tadashi with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, Master." Tadashi replied. "I had lost my way, but Hiro showed me what I wasn't seeing. You're going to help us, not hurt us."

"And who is the enemy?"

"Big Hero 6." He recited darkly. It was chilling how convincing he was. Hiro had to remind himself that his brother was just acting, and even then, he was more than a little nervous. He'd never seen Tadashi like this before in his life, even when he had actually been under Johnathan's control. Then, he had seemed practically emotionless. Now, it was as though he was filled with nothing but anger and hatred, and to hear it directed at his friends from someone who usually wouldn't have a negative thing to say about **anyone** was terrifying. But, he shook it off, and forced himself to stay in character.

"Though, now, I suppose they're Big Hero 5." He said.

"Whatever they're called, they have to be stopped." Tadashi snarled.

"Well, as soon as I get Hiro equipped with his upgrades, we can make our move."

"When are you going to do that?" Hiro asked.

"Tomorrow."

"Wait..." Tadashi said suddenly. "Permission to speak, Master?"

"Granted."

"I've been living with those same upgrades for nearly a month now. I know any glitches and shortcomings they have, I know their strengths and weaknesses, I know what can be fixed and changed. And more importantly, I know enough about robotics to help improve them. Give me a week or so, and I can make his upgrades even better. After all, the point of having a prototype is to make newer models more effective."

"You make a good point. I'll give you your week, but no more."

"Thank you, Master."

"Now, listen. The enemies will get suspicious if you disappear, and then they'll come looking for us. I need you to go back up and convince them that I'm in jail."

"As you wish, Master." Hiro replied.

"Remember, just act natural."

"We will." Tadashi nodded, and they both started towards the stairs. Once they were out of the basement, they exchanged knowing glances.

"This is easier than I expected." Hiro said with a smirk.

"Yeah...easy..." Tadashi mumbled.

"I never realized you were such a good actor."

"I just tried to channel what it was like when I was actually serving him and Callaghan." His voice was quiet and he looked down at the ground.

"Are you okay?"

"Honestly? No…" He let out a sigh. "I know we can beat him, but…he just terrifies me… Even being in the same room as him makes me feel like I need to throw up."

"And I'm making you spend more time with him…" Hiro said with guilt in his voice.

"If it means keeping you safe, it's worth it. I just can't wait for it to be over."

"Same here."

"So anyway, do we have a plan of action? We've only got a week."

"Well, that depends on when the gang should get involved. We could bring them in now and get it over with, or we can hold off and take him more by surprise."

"Take who by surprise?" A voice behind them asked.

"GoGo!" Tadashi exclaimed, not expecting to see her. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to find you two. Honey told me about your video chat. Are you guys okay?"

"Sort of…"

"Sort of?"

"Johnathan kidnapped me…" Hiro explained." He tried to brainwash me, and now Tadashi and I are pretending to work for him. We're going to take him down from the inside."

"Well, you're going to need some backup."

"Yes, but not yet. He'll expect an attack now." Tadashi replied.

"Besides, our suits are still broken from the fight at their old hideout." Hiro looked up at his brother, who wrapped his arms around himself and stared at the ground in shame.

"Well, what do you want us to do?"

"Just be careful. He might come after you, too."

"We'll be on guard. And we'll fix up the suits."

"Good." Tadashi said quietly. GoGo gave him a soft smile and put a hand on his shoulder. Her determined expression melted away to a concerned one.

"Hey, I know how rough this is for you. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Tadashi." She said; her voice firm, but still comforting. "**Are you** **okay**?"

"No…"

"You don't have to do this."

"I need to keep Hiro safe."

"But you need to keep yourself safe, too. Physically **and** mentally. Until today, you could barely leave your bedroom, and now you're trying to face the man who did all this to you in the first place."

"I know, but…" He let out a shaky sigh. "I'll never forgive myself if I'm not there to stop him from doing anything harsh."

"You can both back out of this. Just come home. We can fix the suits, and take Johnathan down tonight. Stop biting off more than you can chew."

"We'll think about it, okay? Just…give us some time…"


End file.
